High Potentials who are ready to accelerate their careers; however they have one or two derailing behaviors that could get in their way. These are corporate rock stars that are blowing the doors off in terms of performance, but need a little fine tuning to smooth out the rough edges – especially when it comes to interpersonal skills. They may or may not know they need this. But they are smart enough to know they must keep growing to advance.
Derailer behaviors include any of the following.
- They are the smartest person in the room and make sure you know it.
- They have laser focus to the point they can’t see anyone else’s perspective.
- Their strong passion for the work makes them emotionally reactive.
- They are so likeable yet they are indecisive for fear of ruining relationships.
- They created a negative perception that they can’t shake; it follows them from job to job.
- Their commitment and ambition is self serving.
Garnering support from executive management is critical in these cases. It’s easy to overlook derailer behavior if the individual is performing well. Honing the emotional intelligence competencies of self awareness and social awareness helps them recognize they have derailing behavior and how it impacts others – an essential first step in the executive coaching process.